Monitoring and predicting failures of specialty equipment including liquid gas storage systems

Abstract

A method and an apparatus and a computer program product are provided that can monitor thermal mass or thermal energy sources available at remotely-located equipment using wired or wirelessly connected sensors. The method may include to receiving measurements captured by one or more sensors coupled to the equipment, the measurements including measurements indicating remaining quantities of thermal mass or thermal energy sources available for use by the equipment, monitoring replenishment events in which the thermal mass or thermal energy sources are resupplied, generating a thermal efficiency and usage or characteristic describing thermal efficiency and a cycle of usage of the thermal mass or thermal energy sources based on historical measurements of thermal efficiency and quantities of thermal mass or thermal energy sources consumed and stored by the equipment and a history of replenishment events, and scheduling one or more replenishment events based on the usage characteristic.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system, comprising:
 a plurality of sensors associated with a temperature-controlled storage apparatus; 
 a remote sensor controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of sensors; and 
 a processor configured to:
 receive first measurements captured by one or more of the plurality of sensors and communicated through the remote sensor controller, the first measurements including measurements indicating remaining quantities of a phase change material used to control temperature within a chamber of the temperature-controlled storage apparatus; 
 determine depletion rates and changes in depletion rates of a thermal mass using the first measurements; 
 receive second measurements captured by at least one other sensor and communicated through the remote sensor controller, the second measurements relating to amounts and periodicity of resupply of the phase change material during replenishment events; 
 generate a usage characteristic representing a cycle of usage or consumption of the phase change material by the temperature-controlled storage apparatus, wherein the usage characteristic is generated using the first measurements and the second measurements normalized for factors including movement or vibration; and 
 generate an alarm when deviations of the usage characteristic from a corresponding baseline characteristic are predictive of failure or loss of efficiency of one of the temperature-controlled storage apparatus due to insufficiency of phase change material, 
 
 wherein the system is configured to increase supply of the phase change material using a manifold that is configured to couple multiple sources of the phase change material to the temperature-controlled storage apparatus when a determined rate of depletion is expected to affect operation, health or integrity of the temperature-controlled storage apparatus. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second measurements include measurements of flow of thermal mass or thermal energy source from one or more supply tanks located at the temperature-controlled storage apparatus. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first measurements include measurements provided by one or more sensors that indicate weight of remaining level of thermal mass or thermal energy source in at least one supply tank that is available for use by the temperature-controlled storage apparatus. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein a first sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to monitor an inlet to a tank in the temperature-controlled storage apparatus, the inlet being configured to receive a flow of thermal mass or thermal energy source into the tank. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein a first sensor at the temperature-controlled storage apparatus is coupled to a conduit or manifold of a supply system, the conduit or manifold being configured to provide a flow of thermal mass or thermal energy source into a tank in the temperature-controlled storage apparatus. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a networked server configured to:
 use the second measurements to determine a number of replenishment events needed to provide an adequate supply of thermal mass or thermal energy source to the temperature-controlled storage apparatus. 
 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the networked server is further configured to:
 receive information from a service entity identifying a quantity of the thermal mass or thermal energy source introduced to a tank in the temperature-controlled storage apparatus during a refill operation; and 
 correlate the information received from the service entity with the first measurements or the second measurements. 
 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the networked server is further configured to:
 identify an error condition when a resupply event occurs after at least one supply tank or storage tank is deemed to be exhausted of a refrigerant. 
 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a networked server configured to:
 use statistical, frequency or pattern analysis of the first measurements and the second measurements to identify one or more deviations of the usage characteristic from the baseline characteristic. 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9 , further comprising a networked server configured to:
 predict insufficiency or failure of supply of thermal mass or thermal energy source at the temperature-controlled storage apparatus based on the one or more deviations of the usage characteristic from the baseline characteristic. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the networked server is further configured to:
 identify a loss of efficiency of the temperature-controlled storage apparatus based on the one or more deviations of the usage characteristic from the baseline characteristic. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a networked server configured to:
 apply a performance score to each of the temperature-controlled storage apparatus indicating whether operating performance has fallen below a nominal, achievable or optimal level of performance based on a comparison of the corresponding usage characteristic with an aggregated characteristic describing a cycle of usage of the thermal mass or thermal energy source by a reference population of similar temperature-controlled storage apparatuses. 
 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature-controlled storage apparatus has one or more sensors coupled to an outlet of a collocated tank that are configured to provide measurements associated with fill events or measurements indicating flow of thermal mass or thermal energy source to be consumed by the temperature-controlled storage apparatus. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the remote sensor controller is configured to:
 calculate scores based on a statistical analysis of measurements of performance of the temperature-controlled storage apparatus provided by the plurality of sensors; and 
 communicate the scores to one or more networked server. 
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the scores are calculated based on a trend analysis of a performance characteristic generated using information previously obtained from the plurality of sensors. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the remote sensor controller is configured to:
 generate analytics information scores using a statistical analysis of measurements provided by the plurality of sensors; and 
 communicate the analytics information to one or more networked server. 
 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the remote sensor controller is configured to:
 identify evidence of insulation damage at the temperature-controlled storage apparatus based on an increased demand by the temperature-controlled storage apparatus for resupply of the thermal mass or thermal energy source in comparison to corresponding resupply demand in nominally operating peer equipment. 
 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a networked server configured to:
 identify evidence of insulation damage at the temperature-controlled storage apparatus based on an increased demand by the temperature-controlled storage apparatus for resupply of the thermal mass or thermal energy source in comparison to corresponding resupply demand in nominally operating peer equipment. 
 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal mass includes a temperature control material. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal mass includes a refrigerant.